Method for manufacturing environmental friendly cushioning material

ABSTRACT

A method for manufacturing an environmental friendly cushioning material includes steps of: a) mixing a non-fibrous material such as talcum power and water with waste paper, a vegetative fibrous material or pulp, and stirring into a paste slurry; b) adding an expandable material and glue into completed paste slurry of the fibrous material, creating leavening holes and pouring into a cushioning material manufacturing machine to extrude and form a cushioning packaging material product according to needed flexibility; c) squeezing the fibrous material mixed with the expandable material and glue placed in an extruder machine to form a cushioning materials having different forms, and placing the cushioning material into a mold that extrudes the cushioning materials according to needed flexibility. Thus, a cushioning material is made from an environmental material to replace chemical materials such as Styrofoam and EPE (expandable polyethylene), thereby reducing environment pollution and achieving environmental friendliness.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

a) Field of the Invention

The invention relates in general to a method for manufacturing a cushioning material, and more particular to a method for manufacturing an environmental friendly cushioning material using a cushioning material made from waste paper, vegetative fiber or a pulp material.

b) Description of the Prior Art

For common commercial electric appliances used in the daily life, electronic products or precise products that need to be kept away from impacts, Styrofoam, expandable polyethylene (EPE) or foam bags are usually applied to ensure these products are protected from external impacts, collisions, vibrations or extrusions that may cause damages during a shipment process. These cushioning materials including the foregoing Styrofoam, EPE and foam bags are common conventional solutions. EPE, formed by foaming PE particles, includes small airholes for cushioning effects, and is mainly utilized for object protection. EPE may be applied in form of an entire roll, or may be cut into sliced materials or pockets in required sizes, and may be further processed into various shapes according to actual needs. However, with the rising of environmental awareness, these conventional cushioning materials made of Styrofoam, EPE and foam bags have gradually become obsolete, due to their environmentally polluting chemical substances.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a primary object of the present invention to manufacture a cushioning material from an environmental friendly fibrous material (such as waste paper, vegetative fiber or pulp) for replacing chemical materials such as Styrofoam and PEP to reduce environmental pollution.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an environmental friendly cushioning material. The method includes steps of: a) mixing a non-fibrous material such as talcum powder and water with a fibrous material such as waster paper, vegetative fiber or pulp, and stirring into a paste slurry; b) adding and mixing an expandable material and glue into the completed paste slurry made of the fibrous material to create leavening holes, and pouring to a cushioning material manufacturing machine; and c) placing the fibrous material mixed with the expandable material and glue to an extruder machine and squeezing to form a cushioning material having different forms (grains or strips).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, step (c) of forming the cushioning material having different forms includes: c1) directly injecting in a mold and pressing according to needed flexibility.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, step (c) of forming the cushioning material having different forms includes: c2) extruding into strips or grains, and placing into a mold for formation.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, step (c) of forming the cushioning material having different forms includes: c3) extruding into grains to serve as a cushioning filling material.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fibrous material is a cardboard waste material, waste paper, vegetative fiber or pulp.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the non-fibrous material is talcum powder and water.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cushioning material may further be in form of strips or grains.

The above and other aspects of the invention will become better understood with regard to the following detailed description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiments. The following description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings. Accordingly, one person skilled in the art can understand implement the technical contents of the present invention. Further, one person skilled in the art can easily understand the objects and advantages of the present invention based on the disclosure of the application, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a process according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a process according to a preferred embodiment with additional step c1 of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of according to a preferred embodiment a process with additional step c2 of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process according to a preferred embodiment with additional step c3 of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Implementation details of the present invention are described with embodiments below. One person skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention based on the disclosure of the application.

Structures, ratios and sizes depicted in the drawings of the application are for illustrating contents of the disclosure of the application for one person skilled in the art to read and understand, and are not to be construed as limitations to the present invention, nor do they represent any substantial technical meanings. Without affecting the effects and objects achieved by the present invention, modifications, changes or adjustments made to any structures, ratio relationships or sizes are regarded within the scope of the technical contents disclosed by the present invention. Meanwhile, the terms such as “one”, “two” and “on” used in the application are descriptive for better understanding, and are not to be construed as limitations to the scope of the present invention. Without substantially changing the technical contents, changes and adjustments made to relative relationships are also regarded within the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a flowchart of a process according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an environmental friendly cushioning material. The method includes: a) mixing a non-fibrous material with a fibrous material, and stirring into a paste slurry; b) adding and mixing an expandable material and glue into the completed paste slurry made of the fibrous material, and pouring into a cushioning material manufacturing machine; and c) squeezing the fibrous material mixed with the expandable material by the cushioning material manufacturing machine to form a cushioning material having different forms.

In step (a), the fibrous material is cardboard waste paper, vegetative fiber or pulp, and is mixed and stirred with a non-fibrous material such as talcum and water. An expandable material and glue are added to the completed paste slurry made of the fibrous material from step (b). Thus, when poured into a cushioning material manufacturing machine and squeezed, the fibrous material is expanded, and the expanded fibrous material then creates leavening holes to become an effective cushioning material. In step (c), the fibrous material added with the expandable material and glue may be squeezed to form a cushioning material having different forms through the cushioning material manufacturing machine. The different forms include strips or grains cut by the cushioning material manufacturing machine when the fibrous material is squeezed by the cushioning material manufacturing machine. FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show flowcharts of a process according to a preferred embodiment with additional step (c1), additional step (c2) and additional step (c3) of the present invention, respectively, for one to better understand steps for forming the cushioning material having different forms. In step (c1) in FIG. 2, the fibrous material is injected into a mold and pressed and formed according to needed flexibility. This step allows each cushioning material to be formed with a fixed size for consistency.

In step (c2) in FIG. 3, strips or grains are formed by extrusion, and the strips or grains are placed into a mold, and pressed and formed according to needed flexibility. In step (c3) in FIG. 4, strips or grains are formed by extrusion. Without the limitation of a mold, the formed grain-like cushioning material presents different patterns and sizes, and may be utilized as a filling material for a cushioning effect.

It is known from the above description that, in the present invention, using an environmental friend fibrous material (e.g., pulp, waste paper or vegetative fiber), a cushioning material for replacing chemical materials such as Styrofoam and EPE can be manufactured, thereby achieving the object of reducing environmental pollution.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for manufacturing an environmental friendly cushioning material, comprising steps of: a) mixing a non-fibrous material with a fibrous material, and stirring into a paste slurry; b) adding an expandable material and glue to the paste slurry of the fibrous material to create leavening holes and gluey stickiness, then pouring into a cushioning material manufacturing machine; and c) squeezing the fibrous material mixed with the expandable material by the cushioning material manufacturing machine to form a cushioning material having different forms.
 2. The method for manufacturing an environmental friendly cushioning material, according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning material is injecting into a mold for formation.
 3. The method for manufacturing an environmental friendly cushioning material, according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning material is extruding into strips or grains, and placing into a mold for formation.
 4. The method for manufacturing an environmental friendly cushioning material, according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning material is extruding into strips or grains.
 5. The method for manufacturing an environmental friendly cushioning material, according to claim 1, wherein the fibrous material is pulp, waste paper or vegetative fiber.
 6. The method for manufacturing an environmental friendly cushioning material, according to claim 1, wherein the non-fibrous material is talcum powder and water.
 7. The method for manufacturing an environmental friendly cushioning material, according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning material is further in form of strips, grains, or blocks. 